keeper1
Arachnopeon
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2017
- Messages
- 29
Is it possible to overfeed a tarantula? or will they just stop if their full.... and if I gave it a pretty large meal a long should I wait to feed it again
I have a grammostola pulchripesOverfeeding can increase the risk of injuries on the abdomen because a large full abdomen can drag along the floor. It also increases the risk of the abdomen rupturing in a fall, although height of the substrate is the main reason for this.
Most T's stop eating when full, and with some species, this can lead to very long fasting. As in, six months not eating long. What species do you have?
yeah its under 3Depends on the size, under 3" get fed 1-5 times a week, over that once a week, and adults no more than twice a month.
Prob dont need to eat much then lolI have a grammostola pulchripes
2 mealworms a month is pretty darn meager....feed it weekly....all youre doing us making the molt cycle last considerably longer with that feeding schedule.Hungry little animals those G. pulchripes. I have two that are about 3", and they'll definitely eat more than I feed them. Every other week they each get a meal worm that's roughly the thickness of their leg.
Here's a shot of my female who is developing some love handles:
View attachment 230541
Thanks for the insight, I noticed she hasn't molted for some time actually I was quite worried about her abdomen size, but I'll feed her weekly and observe.2 mealworms a month is pretty darn meager....feed it weekly....all youre doing us making the molt cycle last considerably longer with that feeding schedule.
Tell that to my A genticulata aka The cricket vacuum cleaner. I fed her so much and she got so fat, she looked like someone who made a lot of bad choices at an all you can eat buffet and got wheelbarrow'd out. She looked miserable for so long and went in a very long premolt for 5 months. She finally molted the other day. She was at risk for so long because her abdomen was so enlarged. I'm grateful she is ok now. I won't be doing that again.Most Ts in my experience wont accept a feeder if they aren't hungry. Even my A. geniculata wont eat more than her fill. Although she will bite anything that touches her substrate even if she doesn't want to eat it.
And I bet that genic came though that molt carrying a bunch more of that weight as well.Tell that to my A genticulata aka The cricket vacuum cleaner. I fed her so much and she got so fat, she looked like someone who made a lot of bad choices at an all you can eat buffet and got wheelbarrow'd out. She looked miserable for so long and went in a very long premolt for 5 months. She finally molted the other day. She was at risk for so long because her abdomen was so enlarged. I'm grateful she is ok now. I won't be doing that again.
So my answer to the OP is yes you can overfeed. Many will stop eating and will enter periods of extended fasting. Some will gorge themselves to the point they are more fragile and at risk. Slower, spaced out and steadier feeding is better for your tarantula. Pay attention to abdomen size, it's a good indicator of if they are getting enough to eat or not.
I figure one more molt until normalcy. At least her abdomen is more manageable now.And I bet that genic came though that molt carrying a bunch more of that weight as well.